Whether it's in restaurants or bars, beverage sales are a significant portion of the overall revenue of these types of establishments. Many bars and or restaurants will sell hundreds of thousands of dollars in beverage sales each month. In order to produce these sales, the bars and/or restaurants must stock an inventory of a variety of different mixers and alcohol such as but not limited to distilled spirits. The inventory control of these distilled spirits is vitally important to the businesses as they are typically regulated by state authorities and must be reported thereto and there is a significant investment associated with these inventories.
One problem with mixing and dispensing conventional cocktails is the control of the amount of distilled spirits being poured for each order. Most local laws require that no more than a certain amount of distilled spirits be poured for a single serving. Controlling this amount is extremely difficult. Most conventional cocktails are prepared by a bartender or other staff member and while the distilled spirits typically have a pour control spout secured to the top of the bottle, the most common method taught is to utilize a four count to pour the correct amount. This method is extremely inconsistent and can often be abused by the bartender when preparing a drink for an acquaintance.
Another issue with business issue for restaurants and bars that sell mixed drinks is providing the staffing to perform these activities. Many smaller restaurant establishments cannot afford to staff a professional bartender that is dedicated to preparing drinks for the wait staff. For these smaller facilities, it is very inefficient for the wait staff to prepare their own drinks as it compromises the table service they are providing. Additionally, preparing mixed drinks typically requires training and/or state certification, which a waiter may not possess.
Accordingly, there is a need for a drink preparation apparatus that is operable to store and dispense a plurality of distilled spirits and/or mixers in order to facilitate not only a consistent product but further to enhance the businesses ability to control inventory.